Slotted outlet fixture for wall-installed vacuum cleaning systems



July 4, 1961 H. P. BISHOP 2,990,562

SLOTTED OUTLET FIXTURE FOR WALL-INSTALLED VACUUM CLEANING SYSTEMS Filed April a, 1958 IN VENTOR Harold P Bishop ATTORNEYS United States Patent Filed Apr- 8, 1958, Ser. No. 727,086 2 Claims. (Cl. 15-310) The invention relates to permanently installed vacuum cleaning systems wherein wall-mounted piping is provided, and more particularly to outlet fixtures therefor of the type disclosed in Shearer Patent No. 2,791,792 dated May 14, 1957.

Such outlet fixtures are mounted flush in a floor adjacent to a side Wall, and are formed to provide for detachable connection therewith of hose extensions of various cleaning tools or appliances, and are further provided with elongated slot means constructed and arranged to facilitate the removal of dust and dirt from the yarn or fiber head strands of floor mops, clusters and the like.

The present application pertains to certain improvements in the design and construction of such outlet fixtures, and to means for accurately mounting the same in a floor.

It is an object of the invention to improve the design, arrangement and construction of outlet fixtures of this i type.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means, in the form of lift pins, for easily and readily removing and replacing the closure members for the elongted slot and hose-extension opening in such outlet fixtures.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for accurately positioning such an outlet fixture and mounting it in properly adjusted position in a floor.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an adapter plate for attachment to the underside of a floor with means thereon for accurately adjusting the outlet fixture flush with the floor surface and attaching the fixture thereto.

The above and other objects, apparent from the draw- Stated in general terms, the invention may be briefly described as comprising a funnel-shaped body with an extension at its lower end for connection to the piping of a vacuum cleaning system. The upper end of the body is recessed to receive a circular cover plate having an elongated slot and a circular opening therein. Closure members are provided for normally sealing said slot and circular opening. An elongated recess or pocket is provided in the upper surface of each closure memher, and a headed lift pin is slidably located through the v A center thereof with the head normally located in the pocket. For the purpose of accurately adjusting the body with the cover plate flush with the surface of the floor, an

adapter or mounting plate is provided. This plate is of I ice 2 annular form and is provided with means for mounting it on the underside of a floor concentric with an opening provided in the fioor to receive the body of the outlet fixture.

Adjusting or leveling screws are located through the adapter plate for contact with the body to accurately position it so that the cover plate is flush with the top sur- Hold-down screws are attached to face of the floor. the body and located through suitable apertures in the adapter plate, nuts upon said hold-down screws attaching the fixture to the adapter plate in adjusted position.

Having thus briefly described the invention, reference is now made to the drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an outlet fixture embodying the invention, showing the same mounted in a floor;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the outlet fixture and adapter plate, taken on the line 22, FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through the closure for the hose connection socket, showing the improved lift pin for manipulating the same; and

FIG. 4 is a detached plan view of the adapter ring.

Referring now to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, in which similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout, the outlet fixture includesv a circular funnel-shaped body indicated generally at 10 and a fiat circular cover plate 11 therefor.

The upper end of the funnel-shaped body 10 is horizontally offset at 12, then extends vertically upward at 13, is again horizontally offset at 14 and terminates in the vertical peripheral flange 15. A flat rubber gasket 16 is mounted upon the horizontal offset portion of the funnel-shaped body 10.

The cover plate 11 is mounted upon said gasket,within the annular flange 15 of the body and flush with the top edge of said flange. Counter-sunk screws 17 are located through the cover plate 11 and are threaded into the horizontal ofiset portion 14 of the body for detachably uniting the cover plate with the body.

A depending tubular extension 18 is formed upon the restricted lower end of the body 10 and may be externally threaded for attaching to the tubing or piping 19 of a wall-installed vacuum cleaning system, as by the coupling 20. V An elongaed slot 21 is formed in the cover plate, said slot having a relatively restricted lower portion 22 produced by the laterally disposed seating shoulder 23 formed as part of the slot walls. This slot isadapted to be normally closed by the elongated closure member 24. A flat rubber elongated gasket 25 is attached to the undersurface of the closure 24 by the elongated washer 26 and screws 26, and rests upon the seating shoulder 23 when the closure is in place as shown in FIG. 2, to seal the slot 21.

A circular opening 27 is also provided in the top plate 11 This opening constitutes a socket for the detachable reception of the ordinary coupling end of a hose extension of a vacuum cleaning appliance such as the conventional floor or wall brushes and nozzle heads.

The opening 27 is provided with the restricted lower portion 28 produced by the laterally disposed seating shoulder 29 formed as a part of the walls of the opening in the top plate. An O-ring 30 is located in a suitable annular groove in the seating shoulder 29. v

The opening 27 is adapted to be normally closed by the removable flush fitting plug 31 having the reduced lower Patented July 4, 1961 3 portion 32 and the top flange 33 resting upon the O-ring 30. The top surface of the plug 31, as well as the top surface of the closure 24, are flush with the top surface of the top plate 11.

For the purpose of quickly and easily removing the closures 24 and 31 of the slot and circular opening respectively, lift pins 34 are verticaly slidably located therein, as best shown in FIG. 3. Each lift pin 34 is slidable through a vertical opening 35 in the corresponding closure member and is provided at its, upper end with a countersunk head 36 adapted to be received in the elongated recess 37 in the top of the corresponding closure member when the lift pin is in the normal or lowered position, as shown in FIG. 3.

A shoulder, such as nut 38, is provided upon the lower end of each lift pin to contact the undersurface of the closure in order to raise the same from the opening when the lift pin is pulled upward.

The recess 37 provides room for the fingers to engage opposite sides of the counter-sunk head 36 of the lift pin in order to manipulate the same. As shown in FIG. 3, the top of the head 36 of the lift pin is flush with the top surface of the closure.

When the closure member 24 is removed from the slot 21, dustmops or other portable objects may be placed over the open slot and dust removed therefrom by the suction of the vacuum cleaning system.

For the purpose of mounting the outlet fixture in a floor,

a circular opening 39, of suitable size to receive the upper end of the body 10, is formed in the floor 40, preferably at a point adjacent to a side wall in the room. An adapter plate or mounting ring 41 is then attached to the undersurface of the floor 40 concentric to the opening 39 in the floor, by means of screws 42 or the like located through suitable apertures 43 in the peripheral portion of the adapter plate.

The body of the outlet fixture, with the top plate 11 assembled thereon, is then placed within the opening 39 in the floor. Adjusting or leveling screws 44 are threaded through tapped bores 45 in the adapter plate,

These screws are then adjusted to contact the undersurface of the horizontally offset portion 14 of the body 10 and to level the outlet fixture so as to position the top surface of the flange thereof flush with the top surface of the floor. When the outlet fixture has been properly positioned, the lock nuts 46 upon the screws 44 are tightened so as to hold the screws in adjusted position.

Hold-down screws 47 are fixed in and depend from the annular hon'zontal offset portion 12 of the body 10 and are received in the openings 48 in the adapter plate 41. After the outlet fixture has been properly adjusted within the floor opening 39 by means of the adjusting screws 44, nuts 49 are placed upon the hold-down screws 47 and engaged against the undersurface of the adapter plate 41 to lock the outlet fixture permanently in adjusted position.

The extension 18 of the body 10 may then be connected to the piping 19 of the vacuum cleaning system as by the pipe coupling or other conventional means, and the outlet fixture is then ready for use.

From the above it will be obvious that the present invention provides an improved and efficient construction and arrangement including improved means for removing and replacing the closure members for the elongated floor and hose extension opening.

It will also be seen that the adapter plate provides a simple and efficient means for accurately adjusting and leveling the improved outlet fixture and for mounting the fixture in the floor in properly adjusted position.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such words are used for descriptive purposes herein and are intended to be broadly construed;

Moreover, the embodiments of the improved construction illustrated and described herein are by way of example, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the exact details of construction.

Having now described the invention or discovery, the construction, the operation, and use of preferred embodiments thereof, and the advantageous new and useful results obtained thereby; the new and useful construction, and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof obvious to those skilled in the art, are set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An outlet fixture for vacuum cleaning systems of the type adapted for permanent installation in the wall structure of a building, said fixture comprising a hollow floorpositioned funnel-shaped fixture body having a horizontal annular shoulder at the upper end of said funnel-shaped body, an upright peripheral flange upon said horizontal annular shoulder, a second horizontal annular shoulder at the top of said upright peripheral flange and upwardly offset from the first named horizontal annular shoulder and terminating in a second upright peripheral flange adapted to be positioned in an opening formed in the building floor, with the top of said second upright peripheral flange located fiush with the top of the floor, a substantially flat, horizontally disposed cover plate located within said second upright peripheral flange and seated on said second horizontal annular shoulder, the top of said cover plate being flush with the top surface of the floor,

. means detachably securing said cover plate to said second horizontal annular shoulder, there being openings in said cover plate, removable closure members for said openings, an annular adapter plate, means attaching said adapter plate to the undersurface of the floor concentric with the opening in the floor and surrounding said funnel-shaped fixture body, adjusting and leveling screws threaded through said adapter plate and contactnig said second horizontal annular shoulder for adjusting said fixture body so that the upper edge of said second upright peripheral flange is flush with the top surface of the floor, and holddown means located through the first-named horizontal annular shoulder and through said annular adapter plate for securing the fixture body in adjusted position in the opening in the floor, said first-named upright peripheral flange providing clearance between said first-named horizontal annular shoulder and said cover plate for accommodating said hold-down means.

2. An outlet fixture for vacuum cleaning systems of the type adapted for permanent installation in the wall structure of a building, said fixture comprising a hollow floor-positioned funnel-shaped fixture body having a horizontal annular shoulder at the upper end of said funnelshaped body, an upright peripheral flange upon said horizontal annular shoulder, a second horizontal annular shoulder at the top of said upright peripheral flange and upwardly offset from the first-named horizontal annular shoulder and terminating in a second upright peripheral flange adapted to be positioned in an opening formed in the building floor, with the top of said second upright peripheral flange located flush with the top of the floor, an annular gasket located upon the top surface of said second horizontal annular shoulder, a substantially flat, horizontally disposed cover plate located within said second upright peripheral flange and seated on said annular gasket, the top of said cover plate being flush with the top surface of the floor, means detachably securing said cover plate to said second horizontal annular shoulder, there being openings in said cover plate, removable closure members for said openings, an annular adapter plate, means attaching said adapter plate to the undersurface of the floor concentric with the opening in the floor and surrounding said funnel-shaped fixture body, adjusting and leveling screws threaded through said adapter plate and contacting said second horizontal annular shoulder for adjusting saidfixture body so that the upper edge of said second upright peripheral flange is 5 flush with the top surface of the floor, and hold-down screws located through the first-named horizontal annular shoulder and through said annular adapter plate and nuts on said hold-down screws for securing the fixture body in adjusted position in the opening in the floor, 5

said first-named upright peripheral flange providing clearance between said first-named horizontal annular shoulder and said cover plate for accommodating said hold-down screws.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain July 24, 1957 

